Co-operative Higher Education

Professor Mike Neary from the College of Social Science is involved in research into co-operative higher education

“The research into co-operative higher education explores the extent to which co-operativism provides a viable alternative to the current corporate model of university leadership, management and governance. The corporate model is usually dominated by a Vice-Chancellor, as the Chief Executive, and a team of senior leaders overseeing a network of line managers. Co-operativism is a principle and practice where organisations are owned by their members and ran democratically for their own benefit and for the benefit of society. Co-operativism emerged out of a social and political movement in the 19th century in Britain with the ambition to create an alternative to the exploitation of workers imposed by capitalist industrial relations. Modern forms of co-operativism have developed as worker/producer cooperatives, consumer cooperatives and social cooperatives. Co-operative higher education promotes democratic practices as an essential aspect of teaching, learning and scientific research, as well as the production of knowledge for the benefit of humanity-in-nature before financial gain. Researchers involved with this project are members of the Co-operative University Working Group, led by the Co-operative College in Manchester, which includes other academics, administrators, activists, co-operators and students. The aim of this group is to create a co-operative university.”More information about this project can be found on their website